Features

New weapons

Several new weapons are added with SMOD, ranging from the Dragunov sniper rifle (with bullet drop and scope sway!) to laser guns and cluster bombs. You can even create your own with its custom weapon system. Bring on the shrapnel cannons and suitcase rockets.

Mapadds

SMOD uses a script syntax based on VMF data and Lua to add content to already existing maps. Everything from arcade-style onslaught play on HL2DM maps to SMOD's date-specific holiday events in the Half-Life2 campaign are made via mapadds.

New NPCs

SMOD adds many new NPCs including rocket-spewing turrets, Combine super-soldiers with fearsome agility, and angry, explosive headcrabs. Many of them make an appearance in the Half-Life2 campaign thanks to SMOD's mapadd system.

Flexibility

SMOD has numerous scripts, console variables, and other editable files in its structure that make for easy customization. A few fan mods have made their way to popularity thanks to its versatility.

Learn about SMOD

To make full use of SMOD, you must have a spirit of inquiry - meaning you have to be willing to search for knowledge and learn things! Some of SMOD's features aren't immediately obvious and you have to look for ways to put them to full use. This wiki is meant to document most of SMOD's features, changes, technical structure, and information regarding all of its new entities, NPCs, weapons, and functions. That does not not necessarily mean this wiki is focused around modifying SMOD for mod development. If you wish to make your own mod using SMOD please remember that it's still on the Source engine and its basic modding principles still apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does SMOD have Episode 1 or Episode 2 engine support?

This used to not be the case, but a new version of SMOD has been released that does allow Episode 2 engine support. As it is, "SMOD 2" is not as feature-heavy as the older SMOD, since it is a complete reboot by The Author.

Is SMOD open-source? Is that why there are spin-offs/mini-mods?

SMOD is not open-source. Mods based on SMOD are developed using SMOD's new customizable scripts, console variables, and basic Source engine modding techniques. Most SMOD mods edit assets within the original SMOD for their robust "new" features, which can make for completely different experiences.

SMOD seems to load and run slowly on my system, why is this?

Through rough translation, The Author of SMOD has said he does not spend a lot of time optimizing or debugging certain features. SMOD's shader effects are unfortunately pretty demanding and enabling all the new visual effects can increase load times by double or more.

Why is SMOD on such an outdated Source engine version?

The Author's stated before that it's difficult for him to make robust engine changes due to the nature of SMOD's code. Being a native speaker, another reason may be the lack of Japanese documentation on Source SDK's source control, a way of receiving and integrating updates easily. The Author did recently release an experimental build on the newer Episode 2 SDK, called "SMOD 2".

Did the same person make all the SMOD versions / mods?

No. Mods like Redux and Tactical were made by SMOD fans who chose to use SMOD as a base for their own mod ideas. They took advantage of SMOD's functionality and flexibility to make these mods without the need for C++ source code editing.

Is it true that SMOD is supposed to be handled "secretly"?

A rough translation of the the creator's website states "Please enjoy stealthily". This can be assumed to mean the mod should be enjoyed with some secrecy. Some possible reasons may be that SMOD uses assets ported from other games or it could be that The Author wants his mod to remain a for-fun project that doesn't have too many demands put on it.